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From the SkIN Canada Training Committee Hub
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Winter 2023
Team Development Awards
(Deadline January 15, 2024)

SkIN Canada is providing funds to catalyze new multi-center teams pursuing novel skin research. These awards are intended to support preliminary activities that are typically not fundable as stand-alone projects. New priority areas include Skin of Colour and Rare Skin Diseases. The deadline for the application is Monday January 15, 2024 before 11:59 PM ET.
Save the Date: June 25-27, 2024

Call for Expressions of Interest
SkIN Canada is seeking Expressions of Interest for the following committee positions:
1. Co-chair of the Translational Research Commitee
2. Trainee Member of the Steering Committee
3. Member for the C-Nest (Canadian Network of Skin Disease Trials) Committee
4. Member of the Executive Committee
Co-Chair of the Translational Research Committee
SkIN Canada is seeking Expressions of Interest to serve as Co-Chair of the Translational Research Committee.
The mandate of the committee includes:
- Supporting translational studies and the development of new skin-related biobanks.
- Sharing best practices and developing standard operating procedures that govern the nation-wide sharing of specimens.
- Promoting standardized data collection and processing of biospecimens.
Applications are to be sent to info@skincanada.org for review by the Executive Committee by December 15, 2023.
Trainee Member of the Steering Committee
SkIN Canada is seeking Expressions of Interest from individuals to serve as a trainee representative on its Steering Committee. The individual will provide input on Network activities and strategic direction.
The mandate of the Steering Committee is to provide strategic guidance and advocacy to achieve the vision and mission of SkIN Canada to improve skin health.
Applications are to be sent to info@skincanada.org for review by the Executive Committee by December 15, 2023.Â
Member of the C-NeST (Canadian Network of Skin disease Trials) Committee
SkIN Canada is seeking Expressions of Interest from individuals to serve as a member of our Canadian Network of Skin disease Trials (C-NeST) Management Committee.
The C-NeST Management Committee develops comprehensive strategies that govern C-NeST studies and resources, including the REDCap data platform. Through engagement of the skin research community, construction of comprehensive infrastructure, and a focus on transparency, the C-NeST Management Committee ensures the network drives research forward while functioning in a cohesive manner that benefits all stakeholders.
The C-NeST Management Committee is focused on the management of the network and the accompanying platform. It fulfills its objectives by providing informed recommendations to the SkIN Canada Steering Committee and implementing its own SkIN Canada Executive Committee-approved initiatives.
Applications are to be sent to info@skincanada.org for review by the Executive Committee by December 15, 2023.Â
Member of the Executive Committee
SkIN Canada is seeking Expressions of Interest from individuals to serve as a member of its Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee is highest governing body responsible for managing the direction and  day-to-day operations of SkIN Canada. The Executive Committee oversees all aspects of SkIN Canada, including the activities of Network committees and working groups. The EC reviews recommendations from subsidiary committees and determines the strategies and courses of action that will most effectively achieve the vision and mission of SkIN Canada.
Applications are to be sent to info@skincanada.org for review by the Executive Committee by December 15, 2023.
Can SkIN Canada help?
Request support for your study
SkIN Canada has launched a formal study intake process for investigators requesting support from the Network. Please visit our RESOURCES page for more information on how we can help with funding, patient engagement, database creation, project administration, ethics application, or statistical support.Â
Early-Career Investigator

Dr. Melanie Laurin is a regular researcher in the Oncology axis of the CHU of Quebec – Laval University Research Center. She is also an associate professor in the Department of Molecular Biology, Medical Biochemistry and Pathology at Laval University. Her research activities focus on understanding the molecular mechanisms that orchestrate skin embryonic development and how these can contribute when deregulated to skin cancer progression. Throughout her career, Dr. Laurin’s work has been published in prestigious journals. Notably, one of her breakthroughs received a best publication award from the CIHR Institute of Cancer Research and was identified as a Top 10 discoveries funded by the Canadian Cancer Society in 2013. She is currently a Co-chair for the Skin Cancer Working Group of SkIN Canada and an active member of the Training Committee for SkIN Canada.
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Patient Research Partner

Natalie Kermany is a Policy & Planning Analyst at the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and is passionate about advocating for patients living with skin conditions. She is currently the Patient Research Partner (PRP) for the Training Committee of SkIN Canada, and has also served as a Grant Reviewer for the Canadian Skin Patient Alliance (CSPA). Natalie has a Master of Science Degree focused in Animal Behaviour from the University of Ottawa, and her interests include dermatology, intersectional environmentalism, equitable healthcare, and anti-racism work.
Recap of SkIN Canada Workshops at 10th Annual Skin Research Group of Canada (SRGC) MeetingÂ
Workshop 1 (November 9)
Topic:Â Patient Research Engagement (Rare Skin Conditions/Skin of Color)

Moderator: Rachael Manion. Topic: Patient Research Engagement – Rare Skin Conditions/Skin of Color.
Workshop 2 (November 10)
Topic: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)Â

Speaker 1: Dr. Diego Herrero Title: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Approaches to Enhance Innovation and Social Relevance of Research Projects.

Speaker 2: Dr. Nitika Pai. Title: Oh Melanin- did you just skin me? Colorism and its impact on EDI in the workplace.
Dr. Nitika Pai, a professor at McGill University and scientist at the RI-MUHC, gave her perspective on the impact of colorism on EDI in the workplace (PDF of presentation to be added to SkIN Canada website).
Skin Canada Travel and Mobility Awards – Next Application Deadline is May 15, 2024
1. The deadline for the next SkIN Canada Trainee Travel Award is Wednesday May 15 (2024) before 11:59 PM ET. SkIN Canada provides partial funding for trainees to attend conferences as part of their training experience. A limited number of awards are available each year on a competitive basis. Applicants who have previously received funding through this program in the fiscal year are not eligible to receive funding until the following fiscal year. The value of the SkIN Canada Travel Award is a maximum of $1,000 CAD.Â
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2. The deadline for the next SkIN Canada Trainee Mobility Award is Wednesday May 15 (2024) before 11:59 PM ET. The SkIN Canada Trainee Mobility Award provides funding for trainees in the field of skin research to study and conduct research for a brief period in a laboratory other than their own within Canada or abroad as part of their training experience. A limited number of awards are available each year on a competitive basis.  There will be two competition periods per year, one in May and one in October. Applicants are eligible for the award only once during a particular training period or level of study (e.g. MSc, Ph.D., Clinical residency, or Postdoctoral training).
    The value of the Skin Canada Trainee Mobility Award is up to $4,000 which can be used for the trainee’s research in a host laboratory within Canada or abroad for a period ranging from 2 weeks to 6 months.Â
GRIPP (Guidance for Reporting Involvement of Patients and the Public)
Although there has been more research on how to involve patients and the public in research, how patients and the public are involved and how that’s measured and evaluated is still inconsistent. This prompted a study to develop an international consensus on the key items to report to enhance the quality, transparency, and consistency of the Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) evidence base and to collaboratively involve patients as research partners at all stages in the development of GRIPP (Guidance for Reporting Involvement of Patients and the Public).
This guideline was published simultaneously in 2 journals. You can read the guideline in either of these journals using the links below.
BMJ. 2017;358:j3453. PMID: 28768629
Res Involv Engagem. 2017;3:13. PMID: 29062538
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CIHR-IMHA Inclusive Research Excellence Prizes Funding Opportunity


NCOHRÂ Call for Abstracts

The Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry (ACFD) / Canadian Association for Dental Research (CADR) and the Network for Canadian Oral Health Research (NCOHR) invites submission of research abstracts from students and junior faculty members (no more than 10 years beyond the receipt of the PhD or other equivalent degrees) at Canadian Universities for topics related to oral health. Submissions will be peer-reviewed by a conference committee panel, and selected authors will be invited to present a poster at the Canadian Oral Health Summit (COHS) held at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia on June 20th to 22nd, 2024.

More than Skin Deep: Mental Health Grant
Genodermatoses Network Meeting

- Croitoru DO, Brooks SG, Nathanielsz N, et al. Predictors of severity in paradoxical psoriasis from biologic therapies: A systematic review. J Am Acad Dermatol. Feb 2023;88(2):471-473.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35718193
- O’Toole A, Gooderham M. Topical Roflumilast for Plaque Psoriasis. Skin Therapy Lett. Sep 2023;28(5):1-4.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37734074
- Joly-Chevrier M, Gelinas A, Ghazal S, et al. Morphea, Eosinophilic Fasciitis and Cancer: A Scoping Review. Cancers. Sep 7 2023;15(18).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37760419
- Osman M, Martins KJB, Wong KO, et al. Incidence and prevalence, and medication use among adults living with dermatomyositis: an Alberta, Canada population-based cohort study. Scientific reports. Sep 30 2023;13(1):16444.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37777591
- Graff P, Woerz D, Wilzopolski J, et al. Extracellular Matrix Remodeling in Atopic Dermatitis Harnesses the Onset of an Asthmatic Phenotype and Is a Potential Contributor to the Atopic March. The Journal of investigative dermatology. Oct 12 2023.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37838332
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Wound Healing, Fibrosis and Regeneration
- Attiogbe E, Larochelle S, Chaib Y, et al. An in vitro autologous, vascularized, and immunocompetent Tissue Engineered Skin model obtained by the self-assembled approach. Acta biomaterialia. Sep 15 2023;168:361-371.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37419164
- Khalaf F, Hutter MF, Jeschke MG. Traversing the blaze: Uncovering the challenges in burn care for older adults. Surgery. Oct 11 2023.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37833154
- Sanchez-Espino LF, Sibbald C, Stimec J, Laxer RM, Pope E. Characteristics and onset of presentation of pediatric stiff skin syndrome: A retrospective cohort study of 11 patients in a tertiary care center. Pediatr Dermatol. Oct 20 2023.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37864376
- Magne B, Demers A, Savard E, et al. Speeding up the production of clinical-grade skin substitutes using off-the-shelf decellularized self-assembled dermal matrices. Acta biomaterialia. Sep 1 2023;167:249-259.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37285897
- Yang Y, Gomez N, Infarinato N, et al. The pioneer factor SOX9 competes for epigenetic factors to switch stem cell fates. Nature cell biology. Jul 24 2023.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37488435
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Skin and Other Cancers
- Bergeron A, Nessim C, Kleiner O, et al. SkIN Canada Priority Setting Initiative ranks the Top Ten evidence uncertainties for Merkel cell carcinoma. The British journal of dermatology. Oct 21 2023.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37864824
- Mohsen ST, Price EL, Chan AW, et al. Incidence, Mortality, and Survival of Merkel Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review of Population Based-Studies. The British journal of dermatology. Oct 24 2023.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37874770
- Venables ZC, Levell NJ. Caution required in interpreting primary care vitiligo skin cancer data. The Journal of investigative dermatology. Sep 8 2023.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37690707
- Muntyanu A, Nechaev V, Pastukhova E, et al. Burden and geographic distribution of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers in the Russian Federation. Frontiers in oncology. 2023;13:1197287.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37601694
- Nguyen A, Xie P, Litvinov IV, Lefrançois P. Efficacy and Safety of Sonic Hedgehog Inhibitors in Basal Cell Carcinomas: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (2009-2022). Am J Clin Dermatol. Feb 16 2023.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36795228/
Other
- Etchegary H, Linklater S, Duquette D, et al. “I think there has to be a mutual respect for there to be value”: Evaluating patient engagement in a national clinical trial on de-implementation of low value care. Res Involv Engagem. Aug 26 2023;9(1):70.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37633983
- Pope E, Lara-Corrales I, Rehmus W, et al. Pediatric Dermatology in Canada: A Broad Review of Population Needs, Workforce and Training With Proposed Solutions. J Cutan Med Surg. Oct 12 2023:12034754231204865.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37823355
- Akuffo-Addo E, George A, Ogunyemi B. Skin of Color Representation at the Canadian Dermatology Association’s Annual Conferences. J Cutan Med Surg. Jul 26 2023:12034754231188441.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37493270
- Joly-Chevrier M, Nguyen AX, Lesko-Krleza M, Lefrancois P. Performance of ChatGPT on a Practice Dermatology Board Certification Examination. J Cutan Med Surg. Jul 25 2023:12034754231188437.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37489920
- Lagace F, D’Aguanno K, Prosty C, et al. The Role of Sex and Gender in Dermatology – From Pathogenesis to Clinical Implications. J Cutan Med Surg. Jul 4 2023:12034754231177582.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37401812
SkIN Canada Executive Committee




